


They Don't Always Live Happily Ever After

by mideltone_one



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Extramarital Affairs, M/M, Separations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-15
Updated: 2017-01-15
Packaged: 2018-09-17 17:49:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9335789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mideltone_one/pseuds/mideltone_one
Summary: Set some time in the future when Aaron and Robert have separated after getting married, Robert muses on the changes in his life.





	

**Author's Note:**

> All characters are the property of ITV.

It was the affair that ended their marriage. Nobody, thinks Robert, would have been surprised at that. Right from the moment he and Aaron became public knowledge, he's certain there were whispers in the cafe and the Woolpack that something born of infidelity would end of it. He used to hope it bought those gossips some element of pleasure, because it brought nothing but pain to those directly involved. Now, coming up to ten months since the separation, it's all very much yesterday's news in the village.

Robert's got used to being on his own. He told Aaron once that it scared him, and at the time it did, but now he's adjusted to it. He thinks he's all the better for it. He thought about moving away at first, but after discussing it with Victoria, or more correctly declaring it and being shouted at until it was easier to just give in, he decided to remain in Emmerdale. He stayed with Victoria and Adam to start with. Not long after Harriet got promoted to the church in Hotton, with a complementary house, and Pearl decided to join her, freeing up Woodbine Cottage. He decided not to wait for Adam to start making noises about moving on and made an offer which was accepted. Before long he had a home of his own for the first time. The decoration wasn't to his taste and he should have changed it by now, but he's stopped noticing it and if anyone asks when he's going to redecorate he fobs them off with a “next year.” He's beginning to worry that his sister will force him to make sure next year is “next year.”

At first, on his own, he became obsessed with keeping the house clean and tidy, probably a reaction to living with Aaron and Liv before. Victoria, ever the caring sister, sat him down and told him to get a grip. He’s managed to rein it in now to the tidy-freak end of normal. With cleaning no longer filling all his free time, YouTube became his main companion. That quickly lead to an interest in language, so now he's learning German. He's not sure what attracted him to the language; maybe his love of expensive German cars played a part. In any case he's decided to try for a GCSE eventually, if only to prove to himself, and anyone else who's interested, that he can be academic if he wants to. At the moment, by way of preparation, he's paying for online conversations with a guy called Dieter, who's based in Ludwigsburg. It is, thinks Robert, a typically German name for a city, and is also close to the Porsche museum; he joked that he'd turn up at Dieter’s door one day ready for a tour round the factory and museum. Dieter replied that that was why he’d never let Robert know his address. There's an element of flirting, not that either has ever asked the other if they're attracted to men, but Robert has never thought of taking it any further. He has room in his life for friends just now, but lovers will have to wait.

Otherwise, life has carried on pretty much as before. He still drinks in the Woolpack, because that's his local and despite it being full of Dingles on both sides of the bar, he's damned if he's going to trudge off to the Malt Shovel every time he wants a pint. He doesn't get his car serviced at the garage now though. Any dealings with Cain are bound to be problematic. When he thinks about it, he only used Dingle & Dingle Automotives as a way to see, and then as a favour to, Aaron. Now they're not together he's happy to keep well clear.

To avoid being forced to sit opposite Aaron day after day, he's become a truly silent partner in Holey Scrap, turning over control of his share to Victoria, but keeping the share, because maybe, someday, who knows, he might want to be involved again. In times of need, like when Aaron was away and Adam was snowed under, he's worked there, without any gratitude from his brother in law, but being surrounded by Aaron's things has been difficult to say the least.

He moved the Home James offices out of the scrap yard port-a-kabin for the same reason, into Nicola and Jimmy’s home first, and then into a new office in the “Emmerdale Business Park”, which is a posh name for a couple of port-a-kabins, some gravel, and a sign, built by the council just on the edge of the village.

Aaron hasn't had it so good since they parted, which concerns him; just because they’re not together, it does mean he's stopped caring. Aaron was OK for a while, making a new life with a new love, but eventually he couldn’t paper over the cracks anymore. Despite what some of the villagers might have thought, Robert took no pleasure in seeing Aaron and Mike fall apart. How could someone who’d only been with him five minutes know how to handle Aaron’s moods and insecurities? After that he very quickly went off the rails. He and Liv moved back into the Woolpack, where Chas could keep an eye on them, and the Mill is now being rented out to a new family. They’re friendly and involved in the community, which, Robert thinks, only goes to show that it’s an ill wind that blows no good. In any case there’s no way he would have wanted to stay living in the Mill, once it was all out in the open; too many reminders of better times.

He’d known something was wrong with Aaron when he started seeing marks on the cuffs of his jumpers, noticed him biting his fingers more. When he’d asked what was wrong the answer he’d got had come as a bolt out of the blue. It was shocking how quickly their world fell apart after that text message. “Love you. Can't wait to have you back in my bed.” Eleven words. He remembers the look of horror on his face when Aaron read them out from the mobile phone. There was no going back after that. No amount of I'm sorry’s, it meant nothing’s or it was a one off’s were going to fix it. Not that any were offered.

Instead, Aaron said “I didn't mean for you to find out like this”, “I've not been happy for a while” (Robert had to bite his tongue to prevent himself asking how anyone could tell), and “for Liv’s sake I hope we can part without too much bad will.” Robert was handed a fait accompli, with a big bright “you’re dumped” bow around it and Aaron was off on a new adventure with Mike. Robert went through a sort of grief process, punching walls, crying, disbelieving, before finally reaching acceptance.

This year, he gets up early on the anniversary of his mum’s death, so he can get to the graveside before Victoria and Diane arrive. He doesn't normally talk at the grave, but this year feels different. He checks nobody is watching before he speaks. “Mum,” he says softly, “it's been a really bad year, but I got through it, and for once nobody got hurt but me. Just this once I think you really can be proud of me.”


End file.
